PDX Media Good Old Days Carl Click

It started when a co-worker said some “radio guy” didn’t believe Carl Click was my real name— he believed it was made up for effect. That lead to a call-in from me, and a fun relationship with The Rick Emerson Show on the Portland airwaves. The guy’s mind went a mile-a-minute with knowledge of pop culture, the nerd world, and “snark.” (his word) I became a frequent in-studio guest and had the honor of hosting The Rick Emerson Roast at the Crystal Ball Room— quite out of my comfort zone but a blast. (If there had been any recordings on the internet, I might have been called into a few offices at KATU. ) Rick started in radio in eastern Washington helping people find lost pets and livestock, he ended up with an immensely loyal audience in Portland for more than a decade. Lately his voice has been the written word. I wonder if he types as fast as he talks.

Rhonda Shelby has been at KATU for more than 25 years. She started on the management track-- as community relations director, but her bosses quickly realized her natural ability as a communicator. They taught her weather. She studied. She learned.  Jim Bosely took her under his wing, and one of the most trusted and respected meteorologist in Portland was on her way (She earned her AMS seal from Mississippi State). She’s been on that morning shift for more than a decade—and teamed with me and Natali Marmion and Michael Convery for a good part of it. Rhonda is a class act, for sure. And her work with the Oregon Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a made a huge difference in so many lives. When Rhonda speaks, I will always listen.

Portland  (and anywhere else)   ARE YOU READY?!!!!     ...for Mark Mason.  He's been on the air at KEX and KPAM combined for more than 28 years. twelve of those with our dear friend, Dave Anderson.  Mark has also been the voice of the Moda Center for Trailblazers fans for 25 season.  Hear how he tried to get to Portland radio for years--  was rejected, but then got here anyway, and how a famous song from the 60s taught him the power of radio and launched his career.  For cult members, his interview is 99.44% hate free.

Tony Martinez is never without his youthful enthusiasm. It’s hard to believe he’s been on the air in Portland radio—Z Morning Zoo, and TV—Good Day Oregon, for 35+ years. In this conversation with Morning Zoo producer Dan Clark we re-live the good old days of the crazy radio team of the mid 1980s and 90s. They had fun on the air, but it was more than that. They influenced youth and popular culture in Portland for more than a decade. “Officer Tony” took his talents to TV, and is an original member of what became the most watched morning news program in Portland. So is Andy Carson, but I hold a grudge, so learn why Tony’s cohort has not yet been invited to the podcast.

Jeff has been a mainstay in Portland TV news for almost 40 years.. starting at KATU about the same time I started at KGW in 1983..  he's still a trusted news veteran at KOIN.  He has ben at the forefront of some critical issues for the Rose City-- homelessness,  government  reform, and his heartwarming franchise-- Wednesday's Child, where his stories help find homes and families for kids in the foster care system.  We've met only a time or two in the news biz, but our common ground we share makes for a great conversation, as if we've been working side-by-side all these years.

Other than KGW sports director Scott Lynn, who mentored me, trained me and got me hired out of college-- Brenda Braxton and Dave Salesky are the most influential colleagues of my 31 years in TV news.  After a series of anchor team combinations, we kind of fell together and became the top rated morning newscast in Portland. In our time together-- on that god-awful (yet family friendly) early morning shift—we all grew up, cared for each other, laughed and cried. In this conversation we talk about why the chemistry worked on and off the air, some of out struggles, our fond memories, and the difficult day when we were unexpectedly broken up. The opinions expressed about that decision are our own—not each other’s, but they are compelling, I think. I love these two like a brother and a sister, and I’m indebted to them for the most important eight years on my life in TV news.